


A Garden In Midsummer

by The_Consulting_Werewolf



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha Wu Yi Fan | Kris, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Historical, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Kim Joonmyun | Suho, Sex Work, Some angst, appearances from other groups because if you are here you know I am multifandom AF, because who am I without angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2019-07-25 18:07:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16202828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Consulting_Werewolf/pseuds/The_Consulting_Werewolf
Summary: Kim Junmyeon is just another servant in the brothel. Either it is his fortune, or misfortune, that his beauty catches the Prince’s eye one midsummer.





	1. A Vision In Jade

**Author's Note:**

> helloo!! As per tradition, and my absolute impatience to post things, I am posting this Krisho. Guns & Roses will be wrapped up, hopefully, by this year and I want to focus on this one specifically after, so, I am putting this out here to see how all of you would like it! 
> 
> also, warning, this will have a/b/o dynamics and possible mpreg (still on the fence about putting that in cuz I haven't really touched this genre before though i tried with Phoenix Flame but you can see I was a coward and didn't explore it there fully).
> 
> this will be my first a/b/o so I am stressed, but hopefully some of you may like it :)

Yifan’s breath hitches when his gaze lands on the man in front of him. Pale skin, pink lips and brown eyes. _Beautiful_. Yifan stops, his hands slipping from Zitao’s shoulder as he gazes down at the man standing between Zitao and Sehun with an angry, determined expression on his face. Yifan can tell this man is not one of the employees here, his robes are too plain, and his long hair is simply tied up in a messy bun, unlike Sehun, who is dressed richly in silk and velvet, his long hair braided with flowers. Maybe not one of the companions, but perhaps a servant?

The man says, his voice firm and level, “I am sorry sir, but you are drunk, and the establishment doesn’t allow their patrons to touch our men or women when drunk. Please leave.” Despite being considerably shorter than Zitao, he holds his gaze steadily.

Zitao growls, intoxication making him slur his words, “I can do whatever I want. Do you know who I am?”

The man raises his eyebrows and takes a deep breath, and as he does so, his eyes land on Yifan, who he instantly recognises. He flushes slightly, but he doesn’t waver as he says, this time in a low voice, “I don’t care. I can see you are friends with the Crown Prince, but even then, you are not allowed to break this rule.”

Yifan finds himself smiling; he has to give it to this man. He is rather brave talking to Lord Huang Zitao like that, and that too in front of him. Their eyes meet again and Yifan frowns a little when he realises he cannot smell anything on him. However, he manages to pull Zitao back, who flails his hands, but Yifan quickly puts him in a chokehold. As Zitao struggles, Yifan asks, “What’s your name?”

The man is taken aback, and his almond-shaped eyes widen ever-so slightly. Sehun protests, “I am sorry Your Highness, please do not punish Junmyeon! He is just following our Mama’s orders!”

Yifan raises his hand and smiles, eyes still glued to the man. He mutters, “Junmyeon”, rolling the foreign-sounding name on his tongue. He looks at Sehun and continues, “It’s alright, rules are rules. I will be taking this one home now, and I will make sure he apologises to you the next time he’s here.”

Sehun blushes as he bows; Yifan just regards him as he finds his eyes landing on Junmyeon again. He says, to Junmyeon specifically, “I will be seeing you soon.”

Yifan turns around but he hears the gasp Junmyeon emits, and he smiles to himself. He will be back to Black Lotus again.

 

Junmyeon cups the side of Sehun’s face and asks, “Are you okay?”

Sehun smiles as he nods. They are in the back garden as Sehun tries to calm down. He says, “You shouldn’t have talked to Lord Huang like that, he’s a powerful man.”

Junmyeon scowls, “Powerful or not, he should have listened to you when you told him no.”

Sehun’s pale skin turns the lightest shade of pink as he drops his head, his hands twisting in his lap. “I wouldn’t have told him no if, if…”

Junmyeon sighs. He can smell it on Sehun, despite the perfume he is wearing. “Your heat is close, isn’t it?”

Sehun nods again. “He is usually very nice to me, you know. And he only wanted to kiss me, but I got afraid…what if, what if he would have wanted more and I would want it to, and then I got pregnant? Imagine the mess then…”

Junmyeon rubs Sehun’s back and smiles, “It’s alright. I know he is usually nice to you, but the plum wine really got to his head I think. And kudos to you for your self-preservation!”

Sehun grins. “The Crown Prince challenged him to drink actually, even though Lord Huang didn’t want to—he just doesn’t know how to say no to a challenge!”

Junmyeon laughs a little, the nervousness seeping into it. The Crown Prince said he will be seeing him soon—what did that even mean? And Junmyeon remembers how he smelled like—an alpha. He helps Sehun to his feet as they make their way to the living quarters. He leaves Sehun at the foot of the stairs and makes his way back to the main building. He still needs to clear the large private room. The Prince and his private party had booked it for the night and left quite a mess for him to clean.

He grabs the cleaning supplies from the closet and slides the doors to the room. He purses his lips when he sees the mess—empty and half-empty bottles of plum wine and barley brew are scattered throughout the room, along with a couple of upturned bowls of food. He grimaces at the wastage of food before he scoops the remains and dumps it in a sack. The bottles too soon join the waste in the sack. As he ties the sack, he is surprised to realise that among the myriad scents in the room, he can still pinpoint the Crown Prince’s scent. He frowns, well it is so because it is very distinct—it smelled like smoked honey and like the pine trees a few miles north to the city.

As he scrubs the table, his mind wanders back to the Crown Prince again. Like everyone in the city, he has only gotten to see the Prince every three times in a year. Once on the kingdom’s founding day, other on his father—the King’s birthday—and third, during the inauguration of the harvest festival every autumn. Even from the distance, Junmyeon had been awed by the man’s height and aura. He demanded command, and now that he thinks about it, he isn’t too sure how he found the courage to talk in front of the Prince a few minutes ago.

He knows his place in the world. He isn’t one of the beautiful, charming people wooing clients to the establishment, people who know how to use their sexual appeal to attract customers, and well-versed how to satisfy people. He is just another servant scrubbing floors, washing the main employees’ clothes and mainly staying behind-the-scenes. He normally doesn’t appear before customers, but he has a massive soft spot for Sehun, who’s only seventeen years old, so when he heard him speaking loudly from this room, he had to intervene.

He finishes cleaning the room and lights a stick of frangipani incense to further cleanse the place. The smell of pines and honey lingers still, which is odd, but Junmyeon shrugs it off. He extinguishes the lamps and leaves the room. It is the middle of summer now, and a light breeze blows, and the moon is large and bright in the sky. Junmyeon suddenly sighs as he wonders if there is more to life than just cleaning floors every night.

At twenty, he supposes he should be married by now, carted off to be mated to an alpha. But he is an anomaly itself—he is an omega who cannot produce the usual scent associated with them. So, when people try to scent him, they are confused, and that has led to a few potential suitors backing down from wooing him. And when Mama found him, she told him he also might be infertile, and he believes she could be right since his heats are often short and far less painful than of the other omegas in Black Lotus. He usually bounces back to work under three days. Mama has urged him to visit a healer, but he hasn’t deemed it necessary. He has survived for two decades, and he knows he is healthy enough. He eats alright and the chores around the place is enough exercise. And, who is going to marry a servant anyway, so why even try to fix what he think is not broken.

He walks down the wooden veranda, the sack in hand, heading towards the back of the house. He dumps the sack and to his surprise, finds Qian, one of their most popular female companions, smoking in the darkness. He asks, his voice low, “Jiejie, are you okay?”

Qian twists her lips and says in a mocking tone, “Just because I am smoking alone in a dark alleyway means I am not okay?”

Junmyeon grins as he scratches the back of his head. When Mama brought him here eleven years ago, Qian was the first person he met, who was fifteen at the time, receiving dance lessons and took a shining to Junmyeon immediately. Junmyeon was too young to know what actually happened in Black Lotus when he came, but he soon became useful, helping around the house. However, as he grew up, he soon realised that he cannot compare to the other beautiful people here, like Sehun or Qian. He isn’t tall and lithe with pretty, delicate fingers, he doesn’t have the grace of a dancer or the voice of a nightingale. But he has no qualms about it, he likes to think he is okay as he is.

Qian rants to him about a few customers and he listens and laughs along at the right places, though a part of him twists in envy. He has seen glimpses of the world outside, it is rather bright and colourful, and he likes how they look in their expensive robes, all gifted by their patrons. Sometimes, he craves that attention. Then he remembers his short build and calloused hands and the envy dissipates into acceptance. He can never join them.

He soon returns inside, not before warning Qian to not smoke so much, lest she turns her lips dark. He heads for the kitchens, hoping to get something to eat. He knows it is late and the cooks might already be sleeping, but to his delight, he finds a covered plate of rice and meat with a note from Amber on the low table. She expresses both her reprimand and affection through her words and Junmyeon grins, feeling rather pleased.

He is halfway through his dinner when he hears footsteps behind him. He turns around and is about to get to his feet when the woman in her early fifties briskly says, “Don’t, stay seated and finish your food Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon timidly returns to eating, and he has a feeling that Mama is definitely here about what happened a couple of hours ago. Mama, or Gong Li—as she is known to people outside Black Lotus—is a formidable yet kind woman who commands over the entire establishment with an iron fist. Break any one of her rules, and you will find yourself unable to enter Black Lotus and any brothels or such places in the entire city. Mama might be harsh to others, but to all the people living under her roof, she is equally kind.

Li waits till Junmyeon is finished with his food, and as soon as he has gulped the last bit of meat, she says, “So, I heard there was an altercation between you, Sehun and the Crown Prince’s party.”

Junmyeon licks his lips as he starts to explain, his eyes trained on the table, “Mama, Sehun’s heat is nearing and Lord Huang, despite being well-behaved most of the time, got drunk tonight and tried to force himself on Sehun. I just tried to stop him, and then the Prince showed up.”

Li places her elbow on the table and cups her chin as she smirks down at Junmyeon, who finally looks up and flinches when he sees the amusement shining in her eyes. She says, “I also heard the Prince said he will see you soon…what do you think that means?”

Honestly, Junmyeon is still confused about it, so he shakes his head. “I don’t understand.”

Li rises to her feet elegantly, gathering her robe around her and smiles down at him. “I think things are going to change for you.”

Now, that confuses Junmyeon more than ever and as he watches her walk out of the kitchen, he suddenly feels afraid. He won’t be executed or something, will he, for talking directly to the prince? He sighs and moves towards the sink to wash the dishes. He shouldn’t have talked in front of the Prince, what was he thinking? If the Lord and the Prince do return, he will bow in front of them and beg for forgiveness, he makes a note of that.

 

Yifan returns to Black Lotus eight days later, Zitao and Luhan in tow—his two best friends. Zitao is currently whining into Luhan’s shoulders, “Ge! I really like Shixun you know, and I behaved like an absolute brute! How will I ever show my face to him again!”

Luhan pats his back as he mouths for help from Yifan, who just rolls his eyes and takes another sip from the peach wine. They are in a smaller room this time—on Yifan’s request—and Shixun is supposed to visit them soon. However, unbeknownst to Luhan, Yifan had gone ahead and requested a companion for his friend as well. Soon, the door slides open and Sehun—or Shixun as the customers call him—steps in, another man following him. Yifan commends Amber inside his head, she did choose the right person for Luhan, who frowned a little at the newcomer, which soon dissolved into a stunned expression when the newcomer smiled at him.

Shixun bows, “Good evening Your Highness.”

Yifan smiles up at Shixun, “Hello Shixun, I hope you are doing fine.”

Sehun kneels and bows to the prince. “I am fine Your Highness.”

“That’s good to know, now can you do me a favour?”

Sehun straightens and his cheeks are red in exaltation as he says, “Yes, Your Highness?”

“Your friend that day, Junmyeon, can you ask him to serve me today?”

Sehun frowns minutely, “Your Highness, he is not a server, or a companion.”

“I figured, yet I’d like him here.” He hoods his eyes and puts on the smug smile that makes him look a little bit more intimidating than usual.

Sehun bows again and throwing one look at Zitao, who blushes, leaves the room. Meanwhile, the other man introduces himself. “I am Xiumin,” he says, his small mouth glistening under the lamplight. His hair is twisted off his temple and a bunch of jasmine flowers rest at the nape, making the entire room smell like a midsummer night. “As the Prince requested, I have prepared another room.” He gets to his feet, elegantly, not a wrinkle on his maroon robe. He puts a hand out and smiles, “If you’d please follow me, my lords?”

Zitao and Luhan share a confused glance and Yifan rolls his eyes again before saying, “I want to be alone, you two go with Xiumin here.”

His friends don’t ask anything as they quietly follow Xiumin outside and Yifan grins when he hears Luhan trying his terrible lines of flattery on Xiumin, who politely giggles. Yifan pours himself some more peach wine and waits.

 

Junmyeon is patching a hole in Fei’s robe when the door to his room opens with a bang. He nearly pricks himself in surprise and subsequently scowls up at the person standing at his doorway, which he finds to be Sehun. Thinking that Zitao pulled last time’s stunt again, Junmyeon scurries to his feet and asks, “You okay? Did Lord Huang try anything funny on you again?”

Sehun’s eyes are wide as he shakes his head. “No, no, this is about you.”

Junmyeon gets confused, “Me?”

“What about him Sehun?” they turn their head around to see Mama standing there, her eyebrows raised.

Sehun says, “Good evening Mama, the Crown Prince just requested Junmyeon to serve him.”

Junmyeon’s mouth drops in shock. He looks to Mama for help, who just giggles and says, “Didn’t I say things are going to change for you?”

Junmyeon flails his hands. “But, but I am not a server!”

“I told him that,” Sehun clarifies. “I did, really, but he seemed adamant.”

Mama grabs Junmyeon’s wrist and drags him out of his room. She tells Sehun, “Go tell the Prince to give us some time, tell him Junmyeon will be there.”

Junmyeon is too astonished to even find words so he lets Mama drag him to her room. It is only when she closes the door behind him, does he protest, “But this is madness! I don’t serve, I don’t even know how to!”

Li presses her lips and says, “Did you not teach Sehun everything? I know you know how to. You literally grew up watching Qian and Xiumin.”

“But, but I am not meant to be outside there!”

Li clicks her tongue as she puts her hands on her hips. “Junmyeon, he is the prince, do you really want to refuse him?” Junmyeon’s heart skips a beat when he hears the unsaid words. He could be executed if he didn’t, right? He really doesn’t have a choice. When Li realises Junmyeon has accepted his fate, she clasps her hands and says, a little too gleefully, “Now, strip! Lucky for you I had drawn a scented bath for myself, but you obviously need it more!”

Before Junmyeon can say anything, Li’s handmaiden and closest confidante, Mei Qi, enters through the side door and starts trying to undress him. He screams that he is capable of taking a bath by himself and he shuffles into the bathroom as the two women break down into peals of laughter. He can’t quite see the humour in the situation though. He is sure the prince is going to punish him; and this is his own brand of punishment. So, essentially, he is doomed.

 

Yifan waits for almost an hour before the door finally slides open. His lips part in surprise as his heart beats a little too fast as Junmyeon steps inside the room. He is dressed in a silk chartreuse hanfu with golden borders and a pale-yellow sash clinched at his waist. His hair is pulled away from his face, a few strands frame his face and there is a light dusting of red on his lips and Yifan is already terribly entranced.

Junmyeon is pale, almost porcelain-like and the contrast of the colour of his robe against his skin is wonderful, coupled with his loose dark brown strands of hair he tucks behind his ear. Yifan cannot take his eyes off him—how come he never knew a creature like Junmyeon even existed in Black Lotus?

Junmyeon refuses to look at him as he kneels, then bows, his head touching the mat. He inhales deeply as he straightens up before saying, “I apologise for my behaviour. I didn’t mean to talk back to you, Your Highness.”

Yifan does hear him speak, but the words do not quite register because he was too busy watching Junmyeon’s mouth move as he spoke. Also, Yifan notes he has a faint mole on the top of his lip and a scar on his nose. He moves forward and with just the tip of his fingers, he touches Junmyeon’s chin, who visibly flinches. Yifan smiles, “I am not that cruel Junmyeon, I am not here to punish you.”

Junmyeon has never seen the prince this close, so he gasps, and his breath hitches. The Crown Prince is beautiful with deep, wide eyes, a small mouth and high cheekbones that don’t jut out but smoothen down. And when he smiles, Junmyeon can see his gums and it is sort of endearing. He finds himself asking in a low whisper, “Then, may I ask why I am here? I don’t understand, I am not trained to entertain clients Your Highness. I am just a servant.”

Yifan takes his finger back and smiles as he finishes the wine in his bowl. “Well, you might just be a servant,” he pauses, mesmerised by the man in front of him, “But you are certainly too beautiful to be one.”

Junmyeon had picked up the bottle of wine, to refill the prince’s drink, and when Yifan finishes his sentence, his hands shake and he ends up splashing wine all over the table. He feels his entire body heat up as he stands up. He clasps his hands and bows, something inside him reeling at how rough his hands are if compared to Sehun’s, and says, “I am sorry, I—I cannot do this Your Highness! Please, please do not take offence!” Then, he runs out of the room.

Yifan watches the event unfold dumbfounded. He just called Junmyeon beautiful, which he was, so why did he run away like that? For the last eight days, he has been only thinking about Junmyeon and his eyes, which today he realised have specks of gold in them. When Junmyeon came in, he was a vision, and Yifan meant what he said. He doesn’t understand the other’s behaviour and as he walks towards the door, to his dismay, he finds the corridor empty. He sighs and furrows his eyebrows. He doesn’t like using his royal privileges, but if using them will bring Junmyeon back to him, he will.

He calls down an attendant and passes a message to his friends. He decides to ride back alone to the palace as he thinks of ways to bring Junmyeon closer to him.


	2. An Amber Night

Junmyeon couldn’t sleep all night, and even though people came to ask on him, he kept his doors locked as he lay down on the bed and gazed up at the hanfu hanging on the frame of the window.

The prince called him beautiful, and he hasn’t been able to forget about it, or the way the other man looked at him. So, when day breaks, he slowly gets up and walks towards his chest of clothes. He pulls out the small hand mirror he rarely uses and scowls down at his reflection. He realises he hasn’t actually properly looked at himself in a while. He strokes his chin and sees his acne scars have faded quite a bit, though a smattering of bumps remains along his jawline. He touches the scar on his nose, which he got after a nasty tumble down the stairs when he was eight or seven years old. He cups his cheek and feels how rough his fingertips are on his skin. Years of washing and cleaning has stripped his skin of any softness. His hands aren’t of a lover, he thinks as he gazes down at his left hand. His fingers aren’t long or tapered like Sehun’s, or even the Crown Prince’s. They are short and stumpy and filled with scars gotten from household mishaps. How can anyone think he is attractive? He knows he is nothing remarkable.

Maybe, this was the Crown Prince’s kind of punishment—drive people insane and make them doubt themselves and lose sleep. He throws the mirror on the heap of clothes and shuts the lid of the trunk loudly. He decides to go wash up and get on with the early morning chores. His eyes fall on the hanfu again and he bites his lip. It belongs to Minseok and he should return it. So, he gently gets it down and folds it, and before going to the kitchen, heads upstairs. He has just placed the hanfu on the floor in front of Minseok’s room when the door slides open and Minseok grins, “Morning Myeon, I was about to go look for you!”

Junmyeon hands him the hanfu and says, “For this? I was about to give it to you.”

Minseok laughs as he shakes his head and pulls Junmyeon inside. Minseok, or as the customers know him as, Xiumin, shares his room with a Northern islander named Yuta, who is soundly asleep. Minseok slides back the door and in hushed tones, speaks, “Do you know the prince went home alone yesterday?” Junmyeon widens his eyes as fear starts trickling in. He offended the prince, and now the palace guards will be here for his head anytime now. Maybe Minseok could hear him think because he giggles softly before continuing, “Oh Junmyeon, he won’t hurt you. You know, according to Lord Lu, the Crown Prince came last night especially for you.”

Junmyeon points at himself. “Me? Why?”

Minseok grins, “Apparently, well according to Lord Lu, the Prince seems greatly taken by you!”

Junmyeon shakes his head in disbelief. “That cannot be right hyung. This place has so many other, more attractive people, why would he come for me? I am nothing.”

Minseok frowns a little, “Junmyeon, I don’t know who put this in your head, but you are not nothing.”

The sound of bed sheets rustling stops Junmyeon from replying and they look over to find Yuta slowly waking up. As soon as Yuta notices Junmyeon in the room, he sends him a sleepy smile, “Was that you running down the corridor in that green hanfu last night?” When Junmyeon gives him a tiny nod, Yuta’s smile gets bigger as he sits up, “You looked nice, my customer for the night kept asking if I knew you.” He yawns and rubs his eyes before speaking, “I couldn’t tell him because I wasn’t sure.”

Minseok pinches Junmyeon’s arm and hisses, “See? You are not nothing.”

Junmyeon presses his lips and shakes his head as he gets to his feet. He looks at Yuta and says, “Sicheng got that new batch of tea for you yesterday, would you like some?”

Yuta blushes slightly before eagerly nodding his head, “Yes, please oni-chan!” Then, as an afterthought, he adds, “Sicheng returned from the north? When?”

Junmyeon opens the door and looks back at him, a knowing smile on his face. He, and everyone else in Black Lotus, know about the two betas and their mutual attraction; he says, “Last night. He went straight to bed, so he couldn’t stay up for you.”

Yuta just smiles as he rushes over to the bathroom. Junmyeon keeps smiling as he walks down the stairs, finally making his way to the kitchen, where he finds Sicheng and Amber hunched over the table over a ledger. Junmyeon puts on the apron around his tunic and greets a few other two Easterners like him.

Black Lotus is in the great central plain of Jiuzhou, a massive country divided into several kingdoms, a part of which the Wu dynasty rules—the city of Panyu. Junmyeon, Minseok, Sehun and a few others are from the Southern land mass of Samhan, divided from Jizhou by a narrow stretch of sea, which is much smaller in size with only two kingdoms. And then there are Northern islanders such as Yuta who come from a group of islands called the Woguo Shima.

Trade, refugees from warring nations and natural disasters usually bring people to Jiuzhou; Junmyeon ended up here when his parents came to Panyu for better working opportunities, only for their ship to wreck during a freak storm. He was only nine when Mama found him washed up on the shore, barely breathing and orphaned. Therefore, he owes her his life.

He is done with the first batch of dishes when Mei Qi enters the kitchen and shouts with a massive grin on her face, “Mama wants to see Junmyeonie!”

Junmyeon groans as he wipes his hands on the apron and follows Mei Qi to Mama’s room. As he leaves, he can feel eyes on his back and hear the low murmurs. So, him running out on the Crown Prince has been broadcasted all over the house… _splendid_.

Mei Qi slides the door open to Mama’s room and giggles as she skips down the corridor; Junmyeon almost wishes she stayed. He enters the room and instantly falls to his knees, and apologising, “I am so sorry for last night!”

Li takes a tiny sip of her green tea as she regards Junmyeon. “Are you?”

“Yes!”

“Then make up for it.”

Junmyeon straightens up, his eyes wide in confusion, “How?”

Li throws a piece of paper towards him, and Junmyeon’s hand shakes when he picks it up. He can see the royal emblem printed on the back, which means this came from the palace, which means he is surely going to be hanged or decapitated sooner than later. He gulps as he tries to calm himself down so he can read the letter properly. However, his fear of dying is soon replaced with pure bafflement and he gasps as he finishes reading, and stares without blinking at the woman now smirking in front of him. He stutters, “W-what is this Mama?”

“I think that is a formal application to be a patron,” Mama says as she taps her nails on the low ebony table.

“Yes, but—”

“He is paying rather handsomely; I think I could afford to gift everyone a fur coat this winter with the money he is giving…”

Junmyeon sighs and tries again, “Bu—”

“Junmyeon,” her voice becomes firm as she semi-glares at him. “You will do as the Prince says, don’t forget he is royalty and his patronage is important to us. This would make us untouchable when he eventually ascends to the throne.”

Junmyeon gulps; now things are getting political, so, literally he has no escape. Thus, as stated by the letter, signed by the Prince, with the royal seal and all, he has to be his companion for as long as the Prince fancies.

_What in all the heavens even._

 

Junmyeon groans as Mei Qi giggles laying down the deep yellow kimono at his feet. Yuta let him borrow it, telling him that the colour would suit him very well. Junmyeon wasn’t convinced, though he appreciated the delicate embroidery of red lilies on the cloth and the quality of the silk. He knows how to put a kimono on thanks to Qian and the gifts she receives from some of her northern islander clients.

Mei Qi helps him with the heavy belt that goes around his waist. It is a rich ruby shade, slightly darker than the flowers on the kimono. Then, Mei Qi pushes him down on a stool and he grumbles. Mei Qi kneads her knuckles into his temple—Junmyeon yelps in pain—and says, “You should feel extremely lucky gege.”

“What is so lucky about this, hm?” Junmyeon asks, feeling extremely annoyed. “The Crown Prince, and I hope you don’t tell anyone, obviously is suffering through a bout of insanity. I have heard of a Wu King years and years ago who went mad. Perhaps, the Crown Prince inherited that.”

Mei Qi whacks him on the head and frowns, “Saying that will definitely get you executed.”

Thus, Junmyeon shuts up and lets Mei Qi comb his hair, which is not that long, only falling to the middle of his back. Despite his lack of care when it comes to his appearance, he does care for his hair marginally better than his skin, and it is soft and thick. It is not really black since it turns a rich brown shade under sunlight. He doesn’t let it grow too long though and keeps it this length by trimming it himself.

Mei Qi keeps his hair open and only twists braids at his temple. She has borrowed a hair pin from someone and it is shaped like a dragon. She lets him admire it and he asks, awed, “Who gave this to you?”

“Mama gave it to me last birthday,” Mei Qi explains as she takes it back to pin in it in the middle of the elaborate twist she is making. “Mama does want me to marry someday, so she gave that as a present, hoping I can wear it soon.”

Junmyeon’s lips turn down as he says, “You shouldn’t be giving this to me then.”

Mei Qi grins and kisses Junmyeon’s temple. “Don’t worry, I will take it back when I _do_ find the man I want to marry! But now, you need some luck, and I hope this brings you some!”

Junmyeon smiles, his heart growing in fondness for the girl. She was born here in Black Lotus, her beta mother succumbing to childbirth. Her mother never let know who the father was, but Mama took her in as her own child and raised her, educating her, grooming her over the years as an assistant manager. She is close to Junmyeon simply because he has been there since she was a child, taking care of her and being her favourite playmate. Mama hopes Mei Qi takes on the business from her someday.

He turns to look at his own reflection in the mirror and he has to admit, Mei Qi knows magic. She had dusted something golden across his cheekbones and put pink paint on his lips, but it is highly diluted with oil so it looks like his own lip colour, but better. It adds a sheen to his mouth and it does look bigger than they actually are. He tells her, “You are amazing Mei Qi.”

“I am pretty sure it is just you,” she tells him, wrapping her hands around his shoulders.  

Junmyeon smiles and grabs on to her forearms. She squeezes him one last time in her embrace and then skips towards the door. She slides it open and waves her hand, “Go on, gege, the Prince will be here soon.”

Junmyeon wants to bite his lips and perhaps cry a little but he is half afraid Mei Qi might hurt him if he ruined her work, so he groans and turns around. He slips on the tabi the woman propped beside the stool and walks out of the room. He sighs in exasperation and walks down the long corridor and down the stairs. The main entertainment areas are at the front and as he walks to it, he feels eyes turning to him and voices murmuring. He hears a patron ask, “Who is that?” Junmyeon doesn’t get to hear the answer as he picks up his pace, trying to get to the special rooms faster.

The special rooms are a separate entity of their own. They are built at some distance from the main building and they are basically pavilions covered by screens for privacy. A natural lotus flower lake adds to the charm and the connecting bridge dotted by lanterns enforces it. There are a total of seven pavilions like these and only people with _very_ deep pockets can afford it. Some of the Black Lotus members who are priced exorbitantly are seen here, so the fact that Junmyeon is having his sort of debut here hasn’t sat right with a few of them. Some of them are jealous and some think he doesn’t deserve to be here.

One of them, much to Junmyeon’s dismay, finds him walking down the bridge towards the last pavilion on the western side. Her name is Satomi and she is easily amongst the most beautiful in this place, and when she spots him, she doesn’t forget to sneer at him, “Oh, look. The servant boy is playing dress up.”

Junmyeon knows his place in the world, but it still smarts. He doesn’t oblige her with a response and simply bows as he scurries towards his destination. He slides the doors open and sinks to his knees. The prince hasn’t arrived yet, but will be here soon, so Junmyeon takes this time to stare into the semi-darkness of the room and sigh. Perhaps Satomi is right, he doesn’t belong here. He feels like a charlatan in all honesty.

He yelps a little when the doors open again and he finds Sicheng smiling down at him, a basket in hand. He places the wicker basket on the floor and notes the fear in Junmyeon’s face. The younger man hums, “Ge, you can do this. The prince chose you, and the others are just being petty.” He had seen Satomi behave rudely with Junmyeon earlier.

Junmyeon scratches the back of his neck and smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He looks down at the content of the basket and sees that the beta has carried all the food and wine for tonight. He pulls the basket to himself and Sicheng says, “I got some of the cherry blossom wine Mama was saving. She said only the best.” He chuckles as he helps Junmyeon set the table. He glances around and says, “I should light the lanterns too.”

Junmyeon laughs and shakes his head. “No, go on ahead. You wanted to go out with Yuta tonight, didn’t you? Don’t keep him waiting; it’s the boy’s only day off this week. I can do this myself.”

Sicheng blushes a little but he gives a little nod to Junmyeon and leaves. Junmyeon gets to his feet and grabs the matchbox and candle from the corner of the room. He opens the window pointing towards the small hills at the distance. Black Lotus is built on a very strategic location; the lake is rather large and one side is occupied by Mama while the other side has a small fishing community. They water body is large enough to accommodate them both. And to top it off, there are the dwarf mountain range in the distance that Junmyeon has explored time and time again looking for mushrooms, herbs and wild rabbits.

Junmyeon starts lighting the lanterns and he is humming softly under his breath as he goes on about his task. He is at the last lantern when the doors slide open and he turns around to find the crown prince standing at the entrance with a small smile on his face. Junmyeon quickly extinguishes the candle and bows. He straightens up, keeping his gaze on the floor says, “Good evening Your Highness.”

“Good evening Junmyeon,” Yifan says as he enters the room, his eyes never leaving Junmyeon. The soft humming was rather pleasant and Yifan had been standing there for a while longer till he made enough noise to make the man turn around.

The golden light from the lanterns makes the kimono Junmyeon wears glimmer like liquid gold. Yifan feels his breath hitching and his lungs burning. He has never felt this attracted to anyone in his life before, even if he can’t really make out his scent. He closes the door behind him and Junmyeon walks to the table and kneels down, feet tucked underneath, his back straight. Yifan wonders as he sits down as well. Junmyeon’s actions too, while pouring the wine into the ceramic cup, are delicate and refined and Yifan finds himself asking, “May I ask you something?”

Junmyeon looks up with a small smile, “Of course.”

Yifan forgets what he wanted to ask when he sees the way even Junmyeon’s skin shines a soft gold and his lips look so soft, so inviting. Then, he shakes his head and remembers what he wanted to ask, “I wanted to ask, that, ahem, something about you.”

Junmyeon bows his head, “I will answer whatever you have to ask me about.”

Yifan smiles and curls his fingers around the cup, “The way you move and do things, everyone says you are a mere servant, but you definitely do not behave like one?” He sees Junmyeon’s hands twisting in his lap and Yifan tries to be less intrusive, “I mean, is there a reason why? I am just curious.” He sips the wine and notes how refreshing and delicate it tastes, “You do not need to tell me.”

Junmyeon shakes his head and clears his throat. He can’t understand why the prince is so adamant with him, but he can’t offend the royalty, so he says, “I am a servant of this household Your Highness. But I have grown up here and I have watched many of the companions train and grow up here as well. Does the prince know about Xiumin?” The prince nods and Junmyeon resumes, “He hated learning etiquette all by himself so he would drag me along with him.”

“Ah,” Yifan chuckles, “That explains your refined manners.”

Yifan notes how a soft pink flush covers Junmyeon’s cheeks and he bows his head again, hands twisting the poor silk into wrinkles again. Yifan understands that perhaps this topic is a bit too personal for Junmyeon. So, he doesn’t ask him about his life here and why he kept to the backgrounds of Black Lotus. Instead, Yifan asks, “Where are you from Junmyeon?” He picks up the jug of wine to pour a drink when Junmyeon gasps, his hands hovering over Yifan’s, “Let me do that!”

Yifan smiles, “That’s all right Junmyeon. I was pouring you a drink.” The pink colour deepens on Junmyeon’s cheeks and his almond-shaped eyes widen. Yifan can’t help but chuckle at his expression. He pours Junmyeon a drink anyway and tells him, “Now, enjoy yourself, will you?”

Junmyeon presses his lips, eyes trained towards the floor, obviously hesitant. Yifan sighs, “Fine then, if I order you, will you listen?”

Junmyeon smiles a little when he realises the prince means no malice and picks up the cup for himself. He takes the tiniest sip and smiles as the cool, delicate liquid flows down his throat.

 

Later that night as Yifan travels back to the palace flanked by his bodyguards, he cannot help but smile thinking about the two hours he got to spend with Junmyeon. He obviously wants to take things slow with the man, since Junmyeon looks like he would bolt out of the room any moment if Yifan makes a wrong move.

Yifan wants to taste those lips and learn if the flush colours the rest of his body as prettily as it does his face. The fireflies come out to play in the summer night and Yifan watches them buzz around his head with a gentle smile on his face. He will make Junmyeon his one day, and he can be patient. He will wait as long as it takes.

Meanwhile, back at the Black Lotus, as Junmyeon washes the shimmer from his face, he can’t stop smiling. The prince is everything he didn’t expect to him to be. He asked about his place of origin and even had Junmyeon teaching him a bit of Hangul. The prince said he will be back next week as well and suddenly, Junmyeon can’t wait to see him.

He is massaging an emollient Mama sent him into his hand and feet as he thinks back to the evening. It was pleasant to spend time with the Prince, despite all the qualms he had about the man. The scent of sandalwood fills his little room as he smiles. The Crown Prince is not that awful of a person, and perhaps one day, Junmyeon can let the prince get close to him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I was writing the next update for Guns & Roses and somehow I ended up writing the 2nd chapter to this???


	3. A Cherry Blossom Song

Junmyeon wakes up at the usual time he always does. He remembers, as soon as he is conscious enough, that the Prince won’t be coming today, or for the next few days. Junmyeon frowns a little but shakes his head and decides to get on with the day. He was supposed to weed the garden three days ago and he has procrastinated enough. He pushes aside the fact that the first thing he thought of was the prince though. He doesn’t wish to mull on that.

After slipping on his long shirt and trousers, he twists his hair into a bun on top of his head and heads for the kitchen first. He finds Amber there, reading something from her list and shouting at the poor cook, Xianhua. Junmyeon smiles and grabs a bowl of porridge for himself. He does feel some of the other servants grabbing their breakfast stare at him, but he doesn’t pay them any attention. He sits down on a stool facing the backyard and is about to eat his food when a loud voice erupts the peaceful morning, “Junmyeon!”

Junmyeon winces; he knows that voice. He turns around to find Kim Jongdae standing at the entrance with a huge grin on his face. Jongdae steps in and saunters over to Junmyeon to squat down beside him. The beta is an entertainer, using his divine voice to earn his living and whenever he is in town, he would stay at the Black Lotus and perform a few songs for them too. Junmyeon thinks Jongdae is a good person but his level of tact is terrible.

Jongdae slaps his hand on Junmyeon’s back and quips, “I hear you have caught the eye of the prince, eh?”

Junmyeon feels his face heating up as he eats his breakfast. Jongdae laughs at his red face and continues, lowering his voice, “So, tell me, what you are doing here, then? Shouldn’t you be taking your breakfast in your room like the other courtesans?”

Junmyeon puts down his bowl on his lap and frowns down at Jongdae, “I am not a courtesan, am I? I am still a servant of this house.”

Jongdae’s smile turns a bit kinder and softer along with his eyes as he says, “But you are now the Crown Prince’s courtesan Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon swallows; he knows his status has changed but he didn’t think about it until Jongdae verbalised to him right now. He looks into the garden and suddenly finds himself at a loss to say anything. Jongdae gets to his feet and stretches, saying, “Anyway, see you around Junmyeon.” He goes away to pester Amber to give him something to eat.

Junmyeon still keeps staring into the garden, his eyes focused on the jasmine bush. _The Crown Prince’s courtesan_? Junmyeon hasn’t really thought about this, thought about himself like that, with that title. He puts his breakfast bowl on his lap as he frowns, his head buzzing and his heart thudding louder in his chest. He doesn’t feel elated, or excited. He just feels like maybe this wasn’t the right thing to do. Maybe this will lead to something he will learn to regret.

He finishes his food and returns the bowl to the kitchen where he washes it. As he is wiping it dry, someone throws a bowl in the sink and since he was squatting by the tap, he almost falls on his ass in surprise. He looks up to find Xuedong, one of the servants, squat down beside him and grab the cleaning rag. He smirks at Junmyeon, “Shouldn’t the new courtesan stay away from cleaning and washing, lest he makes his hands any less softer?”

Junmyeon grits his teeth as he slowly gets to his feet. He dries his hands on the apron around his waist and walks away without saying anything. He hears Xuedong scoffing as he walks away and it makes Junmyeon want to give him a piece of his mind, but he doesn’t, he can’t. He doesn’t even know where he stands right now in this household anymore. A courtesan? He can’t be that, he was raised as a servant. How is he supposed to accustom to that? How can he just change himself like that?

He is walking down the corridor, shaking his head. He needs to get to the weeding anyway. So, he heads to the garden shed and pulls out his things. He doesn’t have to entertain the Prince tonight, he can get as dirty as he wants.

So, that is what he does for the next few hours. The sun rises higher and higher in the sky and he can feel it burning on his back. He will probably get all red and blotchy after he is done but then again, he never does really tan and the redness goes away in a day or two. Dirt cakes under his fingernails and he smears some on his face as well. The shirt sticks to his back as he perspires and he thinks that this is the world he is used to, not the one he was living last night. He doesn’t belong there, he was, in Satomi’s words, playing dress up. He was someone else, someone perhaps he wishes he could be in another life.

But this one life he has now isn’t about dressing in fine silks and putting gold ornaments in his hair. He has spent his life in the shadows, and now that he has a taste of what it is like out there, he suddenly wishes he never knew how it feels like. He wishes he could refuse the prince but he knows he can’t. Who in their right mind would go and insult their monarch? No matter how nice Yifan was to him and how handsome he is, Junmyeon feels uneasy anyway.

He is done weeding the west side of the garden and he finally stands up. His bones creak and he groans, stretching his legs and arms. He smiles when he looks about and sees how much better the garden looks already. He really likes this area—the back garden that only the servants use and maintain. Well, only he maintains it because he did plant all those flowers himself. Back in another lifetime, he remembers his mother gardening in the small backyard in a home they lived in and he has carried that in his heart.

He is proud of this garden; he has spent days and hours digging, planting and watering, and he can’t say he regrets any of it. The garden wraps the back of the house and then stretches into the west side of it, right under Mama’s bedroom window, so she has been the number one supporter of his gardening efforts, saying that it makes her mornings worthwhile.

Right under her window, Junmyeon decided to plant some daisies, phlox, peonies, dahlias and astilbe. The astilbe flowers were getting tall and Junmyeon knows they can grow up to two metres so he is waiting to see. Then, the pink flowers turn darker and he puts as many purple flora he could get his hands on such as lavenders, irises, coneflowers, catmint, asters and hydrangeas. As the garden moves towards the back, he planted his favourite jasmine bush and around it, some cheerful summer blooms like sunflowers, coreopsis, marigolds, gaillardias and daylilies. The abundance of colour and variety in his small paradise makes him happy.

So, he stands there for a while, amongst the daylilies and marigolds. This is what makes him the happiest—flowers and their simple beauty. He has never asked for more, even though he has wished for it but he never truly wanted it. Now, he is being thrust into a world he doesn’t know about yet knows enough of and it dawns on him just how terrified he is. He frowns, crouching down and gently running his fingers along one daylily petal.

“Hard to know who’s the flower and who’s not!”

A loud voice booms, disturbing Junmyeon’s meditation and he looks up to find Joohyun, an omega like him, waving at him. Junmyeon stands up, grinning. Joohyun and he are of the same age and is one of his closest friends here. She walks up to him and grins, “So, I have heard _things_ about you as soon as I stepped in!” She even wriggles her eyebrows and Junmyeon groans. Joohyun was gone on a trip with a patron for a while, so obviously she didn’t know but the way news spreads in this house, Junmyeon isn’t surprised she already knows every detail.

She winds her arm around him and asks, her eyes glimmering something unholy, “So, is it true? Is the crown prince completely taken by you?”

Junmyeon gasps and frees himself, his face suddenly warm and his heart beating too hard in his chest. “What, what even? No, he just—I mean…”

Joohyun cackles, “This is awesome!”

Before Junmyeon can defend himself, a servant announces that Mama wants to see Joohyun, so she stops laughing but not before she pinches his cheek and grins, “You are not to be left alone by me, dear friend. I will come haunt you, just wait. Meanwhile, can you give me a few marigolds, I think I want to put them in my hair today. Bye!”

Junmyeon sighs, first Jongdae, and then Joohyun. He is not to have any peace here anymore, is he?

 

Evening rolls in and Junmyeon is busy preparing the snacks and drinks trays for the customers. He has changed after his gardening work and put his hair down, tightly braiding it as he flitters about the place, grabbing trays and sidestepping around drunken customers. He gets an order from Amber to be taken to a pavilion and he sets about it.

He gently puts down the tray outside the sliding doors and knocks on the floor. The doors open to Hakyeon, who raises an eyebrow when he sees Junmyeon. He takes the tray and asks, “What are _you_ doing here?”

Junmyeon is confused. He whispers, “What do you mean? I am here to bring the food and drink.”

Hakyeon scoffs, “I meant, why you aren’t playing dress-up today Junmyeon? Or did the prince see right through you?”

Junmyeon gasps, taken aback. But before he can respond, Hakyeon slides the door back in place and he just sits there for a while, his eyes burning in indignation. He hears loud laughter from inside the room and his ears burn. He doesn’t deserve this. He was living his peaceful life but that Crown Prince had to come ruin it.

He gets to his feet and tries to not let his angry tears flow. As he steps inside the main house again, someone grabs his elbow and pulls him under the stairs. He looks down to find Joohyun looking up at him with great concern. She says, “You look like you are about to cry. What happened?”

Junmyeon, under the confidence of his best friend, finally breaks and tells her everything. Starting from Satomi to Hakyeon to how he blames the prince for ruining his life. Joohyun listens and her lips twist in disgust at the parts of Junmyeon being treated like shit by her counterparts. She pulls him into her arms and says, “I will take care of those bitches. Don’t let them get to you. And don’t blame the prince, he obviously saw something in you that you refuse to see.”

Junmyeon straightens up and rubs his face, frowning, “No, he is just a fanciful man who does as he wishes and doesn’t think about the consequences!”

Joohyun grins, “Remember how people used to think we were twins?”

Junmyeon is confused—why did the direction of their conversation change like that? He says, “Yes, and they were obviously blind.”

Joohyun chuckles, “No, they weren’t!”

Junmyeon flails his hands, looking down at Joohyun. She is dressed in a light pink hanbok and she put those marigolds in her braid. She kept her make-up to the minimum and yet, she looked ethereal, so Junmyeon says, “Look at you Hyun, how can we compare?”

Joohyun presses her lips and smacks Junmyeon right on top of his head. For someone so tiny and petite, Joohyun packs a punch and Junmyeon yelps in pain. She mutters, “You are amazingly stupid.” She drags him out of under the stairs and pulls Junmyeon down the corridor, saying, “Now, come on! Jongdae is going to start soon!”

Junmyeon can’t get another word in and lets her drag him to the main hall, where almost every courtesan and their patrons are, sitting on the floor on cushion, eager to hear Jongdae. Joohyun and Junmyeon sit down at the very back, and soon Amber joins them too, along with a new kid they picked up to help, Minghao.

Jongdae starts singing, and a hush falls on the crowd. Even Junmyeon forgets Jongdae’s tactless personality when the man sings. His voice is beautiful, the very best if Junmyeon is asked. Tonight, Jongdae sings about moonlight, cherry blossoms, longing and loneliness. Somehow, Junmyeon feels his heart aching and his eyes well up. Beside him, Joohyun isn’t faring any better and is already sobbing.

The song ends and the enthralled crowd takes a moment before breaking into loud applause. Jongdae bows and grins, pleased by their reactions. Amber gets up and Junmyeon takes his cue to leave as well. He still has work to do.

 

Yifan couldn’t stay still. He knew he said next week but his thoughts were occupied by Junmyeon so much that he broke his own promise and sneaked out of the palace after dinner. He knew his bodyguards, and his father, would throw a fit but he has to see him. He dons plain, ordinary clothes and grabs a scarf to throw over his head if anyone notices him.

He knows all the secret entrances and exits in and out of the palace, so he takes the one that goes out of the library, down into an underground tunnel and then opens up inside a store in the market. The store sells grains in the day, completely oblivious that a trap door existed right under its basement. Yifan surmises it was probably built in a century before and the store was just a front, but over the years this knowledge has been forgotten.

At this time of the night, the store is empty, so Yifan isn’t too worried about making noises as he steps out of the tunnel. The proximity of the market to Black Lotus is advantageous, so he reaches the establishment in no time at all. As he steps inside, he is arrested by the singing. The voice carries a certain emotion and Yifan is amazed. He peeks in and finds the main hall crowded but silenced as they listen to this man on a platform singing.

He rakes his gaze over the crowd and finds Junmyeon at the very back, seated between two women. The woman on his right shocks Yifan slightly. She resembles Junmyeon, and it is uncanny, yet his attention returns to Junmyeon immediately. His eyes are shiny as a small smile plays on his lips. He seems entrenched in the song and like nothing else matters to him. Yifan notes that Junmyeon is dressed plainly again and his hair is down instead of up in a braid. However, it takes nothing away from his beauty. His face glows under the yellow light and some strands of his hair kiss his cheeks, which are flushed the lightest pink.

Yifan hardly hears the song as he looks at Junmyeon, his heart skipping beats. So, when the song ends and people start clapping, he is astonished. He looks away from Junmyeon and when he looks back, he finds him gone. He curses under his breath and bites the inside of his cheek. He steps inside and keeps to the shadows as he tries to find Junmyeon again.

After half an hour of aimless wandering, and some courtesans accosting him, he finds himself at the back of the establishment. A courtyard separates the main area from the other half, which he understands must be the living quarters. It is less flashy and a few gaslights illuminate his way. A long corridor takes him to the very back and the scent of food tells him he is near a kitchen. He decides to walk away from it, in case someone sees him and steps out to the side, where a flight of stairs go up. He looks at it, wondering but then thinks better of it and turns again. He sees a garden and steps out, astonished by how beautiful the area looks under the moonlight.

He recognises none of the flowers but he smells lavender and something sweeter in the air. He touches this tall pink flower that looks is almost cotton-like soft under his fingertips. He turns the corner and he gasps, quickly ducking back. He finally found Junmyeon, who is picking up white flowers from the grass. He puts them in a small bowl, a soft smile on his face. Yifan keeps to his hiding place as he looks at Junmyeon, lost in his own world. Junmyeon starts humming and Yifan smiles himself. He wonders, fighting with himself if he should make himself known or not.

“Excuse me?” someone whispers behind him, and Yifan almost jumps out of his sandals. He turns around to find a short woman glaring up at him. He recognises her as the woman sitting beside Junmyeon in the hall and she raises an eyebrow, hands on hips. She doesn’t seem to recognise him, so she says again, “Are you planning to rob us or something?”

Yifan shakes his head, trying to form a proper answer, but then she hears Junmyeon humming. She peeks around the corner and she looks back at Yifan, “Are you peeping mister?”

Yifan shakes his head again, thinking how best he can respond. He finally finds his words and says, “No, I am, I am sorry. I will go now.”

As Yifan steps around her, he hears her laugh softly. He doesn’t wait to know or hear more and rushes out of the house. When he is back on the road again, he takes a deep, deep breath. He hopes that the woman doesn’t figure out who he is because he knows how great of a gossip that would make and then how is he supposed to face Junmyeon again?

He is safely back in his rooms and as he puts back on his sleeping clothes, he smiles. Junmyeon looked so beautiful, even when he wasn’t dressed to impress. He counts the days and hours in his head till he meets Junmyeon again, and as he extinguishes all the lights, he smiles. He cannot wait to see him, properly, again soon.  


	4. A Dream in White

Tonight is the night the crown prince will be visiting, he had sent word last night to Li, and Junmyeon wakes up this morning feeling strangely nervous and excited. He remembers his disillusionment a few days ago, which looms over his head like a dark rain cloud as he goes about the day. He has some chores to do, such as fix a few hanfus and tunics, and check on the other requirements of the employees.

He is eating his lunch when Minseok plops down beside him and whines, “Junmyeon, Junmyeon, please help me wash my hair. It is so tangled and I am so tired, last night was too much.”

Junmyeon smirks, “Right, I did see you leave the house with Lord Lu last night. Where did you go?”

Minseok smiles, slightly blushing, “Oh, we just went for a walk and then he insisted on taking me to this park far away, so I only came back home like at three in the morning.”

Junmyeon wipes his mouth and grins, “Did you enjoy yourself, then?”

Minseok looks down at his lap and twists the tunic’s hem as he mutters, “Well, he wasn’t bad company. He makes a lot of terrible jokes, but he is respectful, and sweet, I suppose.” Then, he grimaces and touches his messy hair, picking out a twig from it, “Except, when I stumbled and got caught in a tree branch and he just laughed!”

Junmyeon smiles at that; Lord Lu had been coming over much often, always asking for Minseok. It is sort of adorable the way Minseok is always flustered around Lu Han and the way Lu Han can’t stop smiling at Minseok every time he sees the other. Perhaps, Lu Han will choose to become Minseok’s patron sooner than later. Junmyeon is happy for his friend.

As he helps Minseok detangle his hair and get out all the loose leaves and pieces of twigs out of his hair, Joohyun joins them with a bowl of sweet pickled plums. The afternoon passes nicely chatting with his friends, Junmyeon actually forgets all about the evening. It is only when the sun is titling towards the west and the sky is changing colours that Junmyeon gets a reminder. Mei Qi comes up to him, all grins, and tells him Mama is looking for him.

Junmyeon makes his way to Mama’s room and when he steps inside, he is taken aback by the swaths of fabric lying on the floor and on the chairs and cushions. There is a small army of men and women hunched over a table, deep in discussion with Mama. Junmyeon clears his throat and Mama’s face lights up; she is grinning widely as she waves him over, “Come here, Junmyeon, we were just talking about you.”

The half a dozen people around the table look up as well and the sudden shift in attention on him makes him self-conscious in his usual, everyday tunic and pants. One of the men stand up and come closer to him. He circles around Junmyeon and the latter is confused, glancing at Mama, who just shrugs at him. The man stops in front of him and smiles, “I am Kibum, the master tailor. I must say, you have nice proportions and a really nice complexion. We can do a lot, many pretty designs and colours.”

Junmyeon manages to say, “Um, excuse me?”

Mama chuckles, “They are all from the best shop here in Jiuzhou. I thought we should give you a new wardrobe; after all, the Prince is paying us generously. You wouldn’t need to borrow clothes from anyone else.”

“Huh?” Junmyeon gasps and he looks around the room again. There are silks, brocades, tissue and organza strewn all over the floor. Mama beckons him towards the table and Junmyeon sheepishly walks over, feeling mighty awkward. Kibum returns to the table too and Junmyeon looks down to find sheets of designs spread all over the surface.

They are chattering among themselves, speaking in a technical language that goes over Junmyeon’s head. He doesn’t understand much about overlays and underlays, darts and tucks—the only thing he has learnt is how to mend minor tears without anyone noticing. He gets distracted and shifts slightly away from the table. A swathe of white fabric attracts his attention and he moves to touch it. It feels like water under his touch, the silk is that expensive; Junmyeon parts his lips in surprise. The cloth is beautiful, even more so when he picks it up and under the light, he notes the cloth has an iridescent green tinge to it.

“Ah, you have a good eye,” an older woman comments. Junmyeon turns his head around to blink at her. She bows as she introduces herself, “I am Fei Wong.” She scoots over to him and picks up the other end of the cloth, “The most minimal embroidery on this will make it sublime. And it would look good against your complexion too.” She then smiles at him, “I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but you are very lovely.”

Junmyeon feels his whole body burning at her words. He bows his head and murmurs, “Thank, thank you.”

They all remain in the room till the sun is truly set. Mei Qi shows up with some tea and snacks, and she is the one who reminds everyone Junmyeon has to go and get ready for the night. Kibum gasps and jumps to his feet. “Oh! Right! We did get a sample made for you! It might be a bit off on the measurements since we only had madam’s words on it. Zhu, get the parcel!”

A young man nods and gets to his feet as well. He dives into a pile of fabric and fishes out a brown paper parcel. He presents it to Junmyeon, who takes it, not before glancing at Mama seeking her permission. The woman just grins and nods her head. Junmyeon unwraps the parcel and gasps when he sees the hanfu for him. It is white with silver thread embroidery; when he touches it, the fabric feels so fine, like clouds under his fingers. He does a full bow from his waist and says, “Thank you so much master Kibum, I will wear it well.”

He follows Mei Qi out of the room next and goes to the small anteroom connected to Mama’s main chamber. Mei Qi leaves him alone as he strips puts on the yi and the trousers on. He calls for Mei Qi and she helps him put the pao and the shan gifted by the master tailor over the shirt. They are both made from the softest blend of linen and silk with hand-painted leaf motifs in grey. Some of the leaves are embroidered in silver threads. The shan is mostly transparent and the belt around his waist is again white and grey, and heavily embroidered. Mei Qi sighs as she touches the sleeves on the shan, “This is so beautiful.”

Junmyeon, too, is in awe of the hanfu and the quality of the fabric. As he turns to the side, the lamp light catches on the sleeves and he notes how it gleams. He realises that the silver threads are weaved through the material as well. He sighs along, “It is, it truly is.”

Mei Qi giggles next, “Now, sit down!”

Junmyeon grumbles as he takes his seat in front of the mirror and Mei Qi starts with the cosmetics. She cleans his face, slaps on some sort of scented liquid and then moves on to his eyes. Junmyeon is, at first, unwilling, but Mei Qi threatens him with dire consequences if he doesn’t listen, so he sits still as she draws on his eyes with some black liquid. As instructed, he has to wait for the thing to dry before he can open his eyes, so when he does, he gasps. He peers closer at his reflection and asks, “What did you do? My eyes look different!”

“That is the goal of an eyeliner,” Mei Qi nods, crossing her arms. “Now, your lips.”

“Eyeliner?”

“Yes, they make it by burning almonds and collecting the soot from it, and then blending it with almond oil,” Mei Qi explains. “It came from Tianzhu.”

Junmyeon nods, his lips parting in fascination. It does sting a little but it is not much of a discomfort. He picks up the small brass pot and touches a bit of the concoction. His finger is stained black and he watches with more awe at how rich the pigmentation is. “I like this, I think.” Mei Qi laughs in response and pinches his cheek.

She chooses the same blend she used the last time for his lips. Then, she decides on something simple for the hair, so she just selects a plain, white silk ribbon and hoisting Junmyeon’s hair slightly higher than usual, ties it. She purposefully loosens some strand around his face and artfully curls them around his face. When she is done, she steps back and hums, “There, perfect.”

Junmyeon feels his whole body blushing again and scowls at her. Mei Qi laughs it off again as usual. Right then, the door to the room slides open and Joohyun’s head peeks inside. She looks at Junmyeon and gasps, “Oh my gods, Junmyeon!”

Junmyeon wants to turn around and hide his face, his whole being maybe, but that would probably ruin all the work Mei Qi did, so he scowls, crosses his arms and stomps his foot. “Not another word, Joohyun!”

Joohyun steps inside and throws her arm around Mei Qi’s shoulders. “Meimei, you are an artist. You have to do my face tomorrow, please.”

Mei Qi nods, stroking her chin. “Yes, but what do you think about the new import from Tianzhu? I used it on gege.”

Joohyun peers closer and gasps, “I want to wear it too!”

Mei Qi giggles and pushes Joohyun down on the stool Junmyeon vacated. Junmyeon shakes his head, and right then, Sicheng shows up by the doorway, basket in hand. He smiles, “Gege, you look so nice.” Junmyeon throws him a glare, the young man just laughs. He lifts the basket and asks, “Anyway, do you want me to set the room or will you again?”

Junmyeon shakes his head, stepping forward and grabbing his socks. “No, it is okay, I will.”

“I will accompany you.”

However, they wait for Joohyun, who insists on meeting the prince. Finally, when the eyeliner dries, they walk towards the lotus pool again, and this time too, almost every eye is on him and he hears more whispers. As they reach closer the path over the water, a very drunk man suddenly steps forward and blocks their path. His speech slurs as he rakes his gaze all over Junmyeon, “Ah, pretty, how much are you for the night?”

Junmyeon frowns, his answer on the tip on his tongue when Joohyun walks up between them and glares, “He is not for sale, not for you.”

“That would be accurate,” a deep voice joins the foray.

Junmyeon, Joohyun and Sicheng all turn their heads behind to find the Crown Prince glaring at the man, who recognises the prince immediately and retreats, freeing their way. Joohyun recognises him too and she gasps, putting her hand over her mouth. Of course, he looks different in his black and gold robes now, but she recognises him _alright_.

Junmyeon and Yifan’s gazes lock, and both fight the smile trying to take over their faces. Junmyeon bows first and greets him, “Good evening, Your Highness. You are here early.”

Yifan’s cheeks colour a little as he tugs at the collar of his shirt. “Uh, I was free of all responsibilities earlier than expected, so I thought coming here as soon as I can.”

Sicheng mutters to Junmyeon, “I will set the room up, you stay here gege.” He bows at the prince and walks away.

Joohyun bows and excuses herself, not before grinning at Junmyeon, her eyes sparkling in mischief. Junmyeon wonders what that was about but he is distracted by the prince, who asks, “So, how have you been?”

Junmyeon looks up, and then looks away since Yifan has his dark eyes trained on him and the light from the lamps make them seem depthless and it sends a keen shiver down Junmyeon’s spine. He mumbles, “I, I am fine.”

“You look lovely tonight,” Yifan then chuckles, “But you do all the time.”

Junmyeon looks away, trying to hide his blush as he presses his lips together to hide the smile as well. Suddenly, a bunch of people come walking towards them, and Yifan notices them before Junmyeon does, so he gently grabs Junmyeon’s upper arm and pushes him to the side, specifically to his side, to allow the people to pass. Thus, Junmyeon all of a sudden finds himself pressed against Yifan’s side and he gasps, inaudibly and looks up in surprise.

The prince watches the people leave, laughing and talking amongst themselves, ignoring him and Junmyeon. He looks down at Junmyeon, an apology on the tip of his tongue but his words die when he finds Junmyeon’s wide brown eyes trained on him and his luminous lips parted with the lightest pink tingeing his cheeks. Tonight, this close, Yifan realises the specks of gold in Junmyeon’s eyes are just a ring around his pupil, which are now slightly dilated as he blinks up at him. There is something different about his eyes, Yifan can’t quite place it, but his eyes look even lovelier than usual.

The alpha smells good, _too_ good in fact, Junmyeon thinks—like pine trees, clean and fresh—and becomes anxious about it. He looks away, tearing his gaze when away. He wonders why, and has been wondering since, why the prince doesn’t ask him about his second gender. Anybody in his place would ask, Junmyeon knows, has experienced people’s curiosity on his lack of a scent.

Sicheng shows up, and he stumbles back a little when he sees the two pressed against each other, sort of intimately. He smirks a little that Junmyeon doesn’t miss (he can already envision how this is going to spread through Black Lotus like fire) and bows, “Your Highness, gege, the room is ready.”

Junmyeon nods and leaves Yifan’s side, though he finds himself unwilling to. The prince is taller than him and Junmyeon thinks how he could easily fit under the prince’s chin—but he instantly admonishes himself for that thought. He smiles at the prince and says, “Your Highness?”

The prince smiles back and Junmyeon takes the lead. Seems like it will be their room from now on and Junmyeon doesn’t mind that. This room is slightly detached from the others and gives them a sense of privacy that he cherishes. He doesn’t need any more disparaging comments about his sudden status change.

Sicheng had left the door open, and Junmyeon enters the room first. He kneels on the mat and opens the bottle of wine, pouring Yifan a drink. He hands Yifan the small bowl and it is only when Yifan crooks an eyebrow with a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips, that Junmyeon shakes his head and pours himself some as well. It is cherry blossom wine again and Junmyeon waits for Yifan to take a sip before he takes a sip.

Junmyeon has learnt the ways of the courtesans mostly through observation, so he knows what he is supposed to do and not. He starts the conversation as casual as he can, asking about Yifan’s health and how his day went. The prince tells him how his father wants him to be more outgoing and go personally introduce himself to all their subordinate kingdoms.

Yifan sighs, “But it is so tiresome. We have so many small kingdoms serving us, I would go grey before I can meet them all.”

“Perhaps,” Junmyeon comments, “You may visit only the important ones?”

Yifan leans against the cushion and hums, “I have been wondering the same. In fact, I do have some travelling to do some time soon, I think.”

“Where will you be travelling?” Junmyeon gets a little excited to learn. He has never left the city. He leans closer, unconsciously.

Yifan smiles at the excitement gleaming in Junmyeon’s eyes. He leans on the table as well, saying, “Oh, the southern kingdoms.”

“So, the seaside?”

“Yes, yes.” Yifan tilts his head to the side, “Have you been to the sea?”

Junmyeon curls his hands around the bowl and looks into the clear liquid. He mutters, “I don’t remember much of the sea, Your Highness. I came here through the sea and the ship couldn’t handle the storm and crashed. I lost my parents that night…”

Yifan’s smile slips off his face when he sees the way Junmyeon turns morose. He brushes his fingers against Junmyeon’s hand with his thumb circling the inside of his wrist. His hand is soft, and his skin is so pale, almost like porcelain. Junmyeon turns his head and looks at the prince, his lips slightly parting before a small smile curls his lips a little. Yifan says, “Do you miss them? Your parents?”

Junmyeon shakes his head. “A little, I hardly remember anything.” He turns his gaze out the window and focuses his gaze on a floating boat. The boatman has the lantern lit and the red light reflects on the still water, the gentle ripples the only sign of the boat moving slowly. “I remember the garden my mother had…and the songs my father would sing.”

Yifan raises an eyebrow when Junmyeon mentions gardens. He thinks about the night he sneaked in Black Lotus and found Junmyeon in the backyard. His face warms at that memory. His voice is soft when he asks, “Your father sang songs? Will you sing me one?”

Junmyeon widens his eyes and straightens up. He grins, “Me? I don’t have such a nice voice Your Highness.”

Yifan shakes his head, chuckling, “I heard you singing the last time.”

“I was just humming!” Junmyeon laughs. Yifan feels his heart clenching when he sees how Junmyeon’s eyes crinkles in amusement and his cheeks lift up. He has a toothy smile that is sort of infectious, so Yifan finds himself smiling too.

Yifan says, “No, no, I insist!”

Junmyeon laughs, nervous right now. He notes how Yifan is still rubbing circles on the inside of his wrist. He is amused to see how much bigger Yifan’s hand is compared to his. If he covered Junmyeon’s hand, he would cover it completely. But then, he hears the rustle of fabric and when he looks up, he finds Yifan’s face a little bit too close, so he gasps and then grins, “Your Highness?”

“Sing for me, Junmyeon, please?”

Yifan grabs both of his hands and covers them with his own hands. Junmyeon feels the very roots of his hair burning yet he can’t help the grin breaking across his face. Yifan’s hands are indeed bigger, warmer too. He shakes his head as he chuckles, “Okay, okay.”

Yifan keeps his hold on Junmyeon’s hand as the latter takes a deep breath. “Okay, I will sing, but it is in my mother tongue, okay?” Yifan nods, smiling. Junmyeon finds his confidence and mumbles, “Okay.”

_“Like the sound of you coming_

_I hear something from somewhere_

_A sound that pinches my heart_

_But you're not coming, even when the night passes_

_My sad heart doesn't know how to stop_

_Just waiting for the sound of you to come_

_Just waiting for the sound of you to come”_

Junmyeon pauses, his cheeks flushed as he looks at Yifan, who has fallen into a silence. Junmyeon can’t tell, but Yifan is entranced by his voice. It is soft, like summer rain but it is playing with his heart like a zither string. Yifan smiles, asks, “What does that mean?”

Junmyeon looks down, his eyes trained on the mat as he explains: it is a song of longing, a lover waiting for her paramour. She thinks she hears him, but he isn’t really there and she can’t stop hearing the noise of footsteps, no matter how much she wishes she could stop.

Yifan whispers, “Sing some more.”

Junmyeon takes another deep breath and he sings.

_“In my waiting heart_

_Joy overflows_

_You have found me, you're coming over there_

_Holding onto blue dreams, holding onto happiness_

_My heart that is waiting is blooming_

_Hurry and come, I've been waiting_

_Let's dream a happy dream, just like long ago_

_Holding onto blue dreams, holding onto happiness_

_My heart that is waiting is blooming_

_Just waiting for the sound of you to come_

_Just waiting for the sound of you to come”_

This time, Junmyeon doesn’t need the prompt, he explains, his voice dropping to a whisper, “The song doesn’t change; she imagine she has him now, she is happy, he found her. And then, her heart is alive again, and she hopes they can live the old happy life they once had. She tells him she is waiting and waiting, and he should hurry up, she still hears his footsteps.”

Yifan exhales, “That was beautiful. The song _and_ your voice, Junmyeon.”

Junmyeon looks up, his eyes widened and searching. He is searching for the sign that the prince might be jesting. But all he sees is admiration and honesty, and it halts the air trying to enter his lungs. The prince’s hand moves, from Junmyeon’s wrist to the side of his face.

Yifan cups the side of Junmyeon’s face and mumbles, “Thank you for that.”

Junmyeon feels exposed for no reason. He feels like Yifan could see how his tender gesture was making his heart pound in his chest, so he looks away, whispering, “You’re welcome, Your Highness.”

Then, Junmyeon’s heart does indeed feel like it explodes when Yifan leans closer and brushes his lips against his cheek. Junmyeon gasps; he didn’t see this coming. It is not unwelcome, no, but it is unexpected. Yifan leans back again and he is smiling as he says, “I have been waiting to do that for a while now.”

Junmyeon raises the hand Yifan freed and covers his mouth, his eyes crinkling in amusement. The prince chuckles and he joins in.

 

It is late at night as Junmyeon sits in front of his small vanity and braids his hair. He thinks about the prince and the kiss on his cheek, and he blushes again. _That_ really happened, he thinks as he cups his right cheek. He can still feel the soft press of those lips and he can still remember how his skin tingled for a moment, how his heart skipped a beat.

His hand drops to his lap as the rational side of him reminds that he shouldn’t be feeling this happy, this efflorescent. After all, Yifan is a prince, and he is a lowly courtesan who has managed to snag the man’s attention. Who says he can’t be distracted by someone else?

Junmyeon finishes the tail end of the braid, desperately trying to push away his dark thoughts when the door to his room slides open. Joohyun grins, “Great! You’re awake!”

Junmyeon braces himself; he knows Sicheng must have spread the news of whatever happened on the bridge by now, so he says, “I wish I was asleep.”

Joohyun is dressed only in her long tunic, her face bare and her hair knotted high atop her hair. She scrambles inside and plops down on his bed, her grin only widening. Junmyeon frowns since that grin looks only the tiniest malevolent, like she knows something that will only provide her all the amusement and somebody else some sort of distress.

When Junmyeon raises an eyebrow, she hums, “Guess what, the night Jongdae was singing here, I found someone spying on you in the garden.”

Junmyeon’s frown deepens, “What do you mean? Who was spying on me?”

Joohyun leans forward, her eyes sparkling now. “Since it was dark, I couldn’t tell, but today when I saw him again, I knew he was the one spying on you.”

Junmyeon’s confusion only increases. He is aware no one would do such a thing here, so who was it? He asks again, “Who?”

“Why, the Crown Prince of course!” she erupts into peals of laughter when Junmyeon gapes like a fish.

“What! That’s not possible, why would he sneak into Black Lotus like that?”

“For you, you silly little fool!” Joohyun lies down on the bed on her chest and cups her face, winking, “Sicheng told me all about how he couldn’t look away from you on the bridge.”

Junmyeon groans and it just makes Joohyun laugh some more. She changes the subject and talks about her new patron, but Junmyeon is only half-listening.

The prince was here that night? Yifan came for him? His hand cup his cheek again and he cannot help but smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song sung by Junmyeon is Imi Oneun Sori by Gain and Minseo (such a lovely song, really T__T)
> 
> also, on the dress he wears, the yi and pao are cross-collar inner garments while the shan is sort of jacket/shirt/shrug


	5. A Rhapsody in Red

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> those who follow me on Twitter, you remember what I said? It will be starting soon muhahahahah

There was a sudden shower of rain the night before. Junmyeon wakes up to the scent of wet earth and sugarcane juice. When he walks into the kitchen, he finds Amber and a bunch of others boiling huge amounts of sugarcane juice in the courtyard. They make their own brown sugar here at the establishment and then they use the sugar to make pickles, preserves, flavour sweet wine and other foods. Junmyeon manages to snag a cupful of fresh juice and with a dash of lime in it, he drinks it. He hums as the cool, slightly sweet liquid runs down his throat.

One of the younger servants, a boy named Jungkook, sits down beside him, wiping his eyebrows. Junmyeon hands him his cup; Jungkook sighs in gratitude as he takes it and sips from it. Jungkook is one of the few servants who hasn’t turned against him overnight. Even now, as he sits under the cloudy morning, he can see how some of them look at him and point at him, whispering amongst themselves. Junmyeon soon gets fed up of it, and as soon as Jungkook returns to stir one of the woks, he decides to go collect some mushrooms on the mountain. Jungkook, however, leaves with a gentle press on Junmyeon’s shoulder and a small smile on his face. He heard them too, then. Junmyeon is glad he still has some people on his side.

A few minutes later, he has his chunky leather boots on and his big wicker basket. Amber waves at him as he leaves; she is already excited about eating mushrooms for dinner tonight. The walk from Black Lotus to the mountain is quite long so he hitches a ride with a man on his donkey cart, who is also heading for the mountains to collect medicinal herbs. The journey takes an hour long and the man says he will bring him back to the town as well if he wants. Junmyeon agrees, and they both agree to meet at the same spot they get down two hours later.

The man heads for the top while Junmyeon sticks mostly to the foot. He scourges through fallen leaves and under moss-covered barks. He picks some small white ones with brown caps and some larger ones with snow-white caps. He stays away from the strangely coloured ones except for the bluish grey ones growing on trees. He knows his mushrooms; he has been picking them from the wild for years now. He has never poisoned anyone though Joohyun jokes how if he wanted to, he could probably use it to poison someone.

Somehow, he had managed to get quite far up the mountain and when he looks down, he can see the town, the lotus lake, his home. The rainclouds over his head make the place slightly chilly. He smiles, rubbing his arms. The mountains are beautiful; they are lush and green, filled with plants and herbs and small animals like deer and birds. His town is self-sufficient. They have huge farms on the borders, they have trees growing every fruit, vegetable and herb possible on the mountains, fresh fish from the lakes fed by the ice on the mountains. The magnolia trees are in bloom below his feet and he smiles, thinking he should return to pick some up too. He can make pastries with them.

He is about to climb down the slope after he finds his basket filled with more than enough mushroom to feed all the inhabitants of the house when he notices a thin wisp of smoke curling towards the sky on his right. He frowns, thinking if someone left a fire burning or something. That could be dangerous, so he walks over to the area.

It is a dip along the slope ending at a clearing with a narrow stream flowing by it, and he finds a man huddled over a fire. He has a stick over the fire and a piece of mushroom is jabbed on its end. He is about to bring the mushroom closer to the fire when Junmyeon shouts, “I wouldn’t eat that if I were you!”

The man turns around, his eyes widening. Junmyeon realises the man is not from around here, he is dressed in heavier clothes but he is handsome. His hairstyle is a big giveaway, which is long and in a ponytail with his sides shaved and that style is not common around here. He looks tired and Junmyeon notices the bag resting by his side and he realises the man must be a traveller. Junmyeon climbs down the trench and points at the red-capped mushroom, “It’s poisonous mister, you shouldn’t be eating that.”

The man looks at his stick and says, “Oh? I had no idea.” He frowns at the mushroom.

Junmyeon takes the stick away from his hand with a small chuckle. The man surrenders it only too eagerly, giving Junmyeon a sheepish smile. Junmyeon picks out the biggest mushroom from his basket and scrubs the dirt from it in the stream. He throws the poisonous one way and jabs the edible one and hands it back to the man.

The man smiles, “Thank you, I was very hungry.”

Junmyeon grins, “No problem.” He looks at the bag, “Are you travelling?”

The man’s smile dips a little but he nods. The mushroom sizzles, “You can say that. Are you from the town?”

Junmyeon nods, squatting down, “I am from the town. I work at Black Lotus.” He looks at the mushroom cooking on the fire and then at the rather hefty bag and he makes up his mind up as he offers, “You know, if you’re hungry, you can come down there. It’s an entertainment house, but if you want dinner, I can help you with that.”

The man’s eyes widen. “I—I, you are too kind, mister, ugh—”

“Junmyeon, you are?”

“Yang Yang,” the man smiles, and Junmyeon thinks it is a very charming smile.

“It’s not a problem at all, we have our friends coming all over and they are welcome to come to eat or stay with us.”

The man bows his head, “Thank you, the people of Jiuzhou are very kind.”

The man and Junmyeon chat for a while before the latter remembers he has to go pick some flowers. Junmyeon lets him know about some inns or homestays he can stay in. Yang Yang doesn’t talk too much about himself but Junmyeon understands—they are mostly strangers, so that is understandable but Junmyeon knows he will keep his word if Yang Yang does show up at Black Lotus. Yang Yang looked like he hadn’t eaten or slept well for days, Junmyeon feels sort of bad for him. There was mud caked on his shoes and his clothes looked still wet as if he had slept outside last night in the rain.

He picks up a bunch of flowers and makes his way down the mountainside. He finds the donkey cart-man already waiting for him, and they make their way back to the town. Junmyeon glances back at the mountain, feeling the tiniest worried for his new friend. He hopes Yang Yang finds a place to stay before it rains again.

He returns to Black Lotus and Amber and Sicheng actually squeal when they see the basket of mushrooms. They are already making plans to have some roasted and others stewed with meat; Junmyeon can only laugh at their enthusiasm. He decides to go clean the flowers to start on making the pastries. As he measures out cups of rice flour, sugar and lard, Mei Qi comes into the kitchen, grinning, “Gege! Mama wants to see you!”

Junmyeon has his sleeves rolled up, ready to start cooking, so he sends Mei Qi a scowl, “Tell her to wait. I will be there in a few minutes, okay?”

Mei Qi shrugs her shoulders and skips away. Junmyeon starts on the filling first, melting down rock sugar with the petals. He kneads the dough, dividing it into two parts. He would roll them out later, so he puts them aside to rise. He asks Sicheng to keep an eye on the petals and sugar mixture cooking on the stove. He dusts his hands and goes up the stairs towards Mama’s room.

He knocks on the door and steps in when Mama says, “Come in Junmyeon.” Mama gives him a look-over and frowns, “Why do you look so messy?”

Junmyeon clasps his hands behind his back and feels skittish, almost like he is getting scolded for stealing jam or something. He knows his hair is a mess but he did clean his hands and face. However, he is also sure there is flour on his tunic. “Uh, I went to the mountain, then I was going to make some pastries…”

Mama scoffs, “That explains it.” Then she picks up a letter from her desk and chuckles, “Well if you are making those pastries, keep some for the Prince as well.”

Junmyeon frowns; the Prince came here five days ago, and there are two more days till he shows up. But Mama has a letter in her hand again, and a letter in her hand when he is in the room is usually some earth-shattering news for him. “But those pastries are supposed to be eaten fresh.”

Mama laughs, “He comes tonight, and he comes with a proposition for you. Here, you can read it.”

She hands him the letter and as Junmyeon reads through it, his mouth drops open. He looks at Mama, his eyes wide, “He, he wants me to accompany him on his travels?”

“Apparently, yes,” Mama shrugs with a smile. Then she sighs, “Guess I have to tell Kibum to get moving faster on your clothes.”

Junmyeon shakes the letter, his hands shaking in agitation. “But who will do all the work here?”

Mama waves her hand. “Oh, we will find someone to substitute you.”

Junmyeon opens his mouth again, but closes it, struggling to find the right words. He was standing but he slowly sinks down to the floor, his mind whirring with so much noise and confusion. This is unexpected, to say the least. He doesn’t quite know how to process it. He hears Mama say, “He will be coming here tonight. It is up to you Junmyeon, you can tell him no if you want.”

Junmyeon says, in a small, tight voice, “Who says no to a Crown Prince?”

Mama taps her nail on the desk, “Junmyeon, it is up to you. He has asked for your company, _asked_ , you can refuse okay?”

Junmyeon nods, his heart both soaring in excitement and sinking in fear. If Yifan wants his company, what else could that lead to? Junmyeon swallows—suddenly terrified of the prospect of physical intimacy. Junmyeon has no experience with _that_ , he doesn’t even bother with it since his heats are so tame. He has seen other omegas crave for contact, even go as far to let their alpha clients help them during heat but Junmyeon can’t grasp that part of being an omega. He is doomed if the prince wants anything more from him. Then, he asks himself if he wants that from the prince or not. He never had to think about all these things before!

Mama lets him leave and Junmyeon doesn’t even notice what he is doing as he walks down to the kitchens and starts working on the dough again. He decides to shut his brain off as he works on making the filling and layering the dough. He focuses his whole attention on flipping the dough and rolling it, forming small circles and filling them one by one with the sweet floral mixture. By the time the first batch of pastries is fried, it is already evening. As soon as the dough touches the hot oil, the layers separate and bloom like a flower since he slit the top in cross-sections. Amber and Sicheng awe in surprise and glee, eager to taste some right away.

He is on his second batch when Mei Qi comes down to drag him away to get him ready for the night. Sicheng takes over for him and shoos him away. Mei Qi says as they take the stairs, “So, Kibum gege sent some new clothes and he said he will send even more during the week! But the one I chose for you today is so, so pretty! You’ll love it!”

Junmyeon narrows his eyes, “And by love, you mean I’ll hate it.”

Mei Qi just giggles and Junmyeon knows he is right. He first heads for the bath and cleans himself off all the day’s dirt and sweat. He spends the most time cleaning under his fingernails, cleaning all the dough and sugar from it, feeling slightly embarrassed that the Prince chose to come today of all days. He is so not mentally prepared for today.

Mei Qi refuses to show him the hanfu as he dries his hair. Junmyeon is getting more and more suspicious as the minutes' pass. When his eyes start watering for seating near the coal fire as he dries his hair, Mei Qi quietly says, “I heard the Prince is taking you with him on his travels.”

Junmyeon shuts his eyes as he gently shakes his hair strands, letting the smoke pass through his hair, drying it. Mei Qi put a bar of sandalwood on the smouldering coals so his hair gets scented and the smoky, sweet scent isn’t too awful. Junmyeon grimaces as he ponders on Mei Qi’s words. He mumbles, “I haven’t thought about it, really.” He sighs, “Like, I would see the world, see more of the place I live in but just…this is the Crown Prince, you know. What if, what if—”

Junmyeon can’t finish the sentence, swallowing the lump in his throat as he considers the tumultuous thoughts he had been battling with for the last few hours. The prince is gentle, sweet and hasn’t really made any untoward or indecent advances. He has been respectful and Junmyeon hasn’t been unwelcome to the touches or the kiss on his cheek that day. As he recalls to the gentle, warm press of Yifan’s lips on his cheek, he feels his whole face heating up again and he cups the side of his face, smiling a little.

Mei Qi curls her fingers around Junmyeon’s wrist and presses down, sending her silent reassurance. Junmyeon puts his hand over hers and they share a look, heavy with understanding and a shared sense of fear about the things they are both unaware of. Mei Qi doesn’t have a suitor, doesn’t even seem interested in getting one, and the same could be said for Junmyeon. Even though Junmyeon has his precondition, Mei Qi just wants to learn the business of Black Lotus and take over when the time comes, despite Mama wishing her to lead a normal, everyday life.

When Junmyeon’s hair is somewhat dry and lightly scented like smoky sandalwood, Mei Qi finally shows him the hanfu and Junmyeon’s jaw drops. The shan is a rich orange shade heavily embroidered with dragons and lotus flowers on the shoulder and arms while both the yi and pao are in vermillion. Junmyeon whispers, terribly shocked, “Meimei, this is much too bright for me!”

Mei Qi rolls her eyes. “Oh, nonsense.” Junmyeon has an argument on the tip of his tongue but Mei QI sends him a glare and he shuts up. When he is done dressing up, Mei Qi returns with an elaborate tasselled and beaded head accessory and Junmyeon really wants to ask what it is today because she never gave him such an in-your-face look before. She brushes his hair to a side and keeps it loose, just tying the accessory with a braid on one side. The tassels tickle his ear while the beads drop down his shoulder. She also exchanges the usual light colour for his lips and dots a more scarlet shade on the middle of his lower lip and gestures at him to rub his lips together to spread the tint all over.

Junmyeon does as told and he has to admit she didn’t too bad but just the colour—it is so prominent, so bright, so out there…He sends her a look of pleading again but she just crosses her arms and shakes her head.

There is still some time for the Prince to arrive, so he goes down to the kitchens to check on his magnolia pastries. Sicheng has fried up two more batches and he breaks apart one, sharing it with Yuta, who beams at the former. Junmyeon smiles at their exchange. Mama isn’t opposed to their relationship fortunately; she even let Yuta not chose any patron when the time came. However, Yuta is charming and terribly good at what he does, so he brings in enough money with his wit and singing alone.

Yuta is dressed in a blue silk kimono and when he notices Junmyeon hovering close by, his eyes widen as he looks over at the older. He whistles, “Wow, oni-chan, you look so good!”

Junmyeon groans, “Not you too.”

Sicheng laughs as he chews on his pastry. “Yuta, he’s allergic to compliments, especially those that don’t come from the Crown Prince, so careful—he might break out into hives.”

Junmyeon would like to hit Sicheng for that comment and he lets the younger know through his glare. Yuta doubles over in laughter. He straightens up and takes another bite with a smile, “By the way, these are amazing!”

Sicheng winks, “You should serve some to the Prince, bet he’s going to _love_ it.”

Junmyeon picks up the rolling pin and he is about to hit Sicheng with it (Sicheng promptly jumped behind Yuta as both Betas cackled at Junmyeon), when a soft voice calls out behind them from the courtyard, “Ahem, excuse me?”

They all look at the stranger awkwardly standing and it takes Junmyeon a moment because Yang Yang is dressed differently, out of his heavy clothes and into a lighter tunic, but he grins, “Yang Yang!”

Yang Yang is sort of taken aback and looks the tiniest gobsmacked when Junmyeon walks over to him. It takes him a moment too, but recognition dawns in his eyes as he asks, “Jun-Junmyeon?”

Junmyeon nods, grinning, “Yes! I suppose you couldn’t tell, right?”

Yang Yang nods, his eyes widening as he stares at Junmyeon’s mouth. “You look, well, different.”

Junmyeon feels shy, so he looks away and scratches his nape, “I usually don’t entertain but I only have one very insistent client.”

Yang Yang nods again, though he looks lost and confused. Yuta and Sicheng join Junmyeon and they prod the older and Junmyeon laughs, “Oh, right! Yang Yang meet my friends Yuta and Sicheng. Yuta is a courtesan here while Sicheng looks after the food and drinks here.”

The three men bow at each other and Yang Yang finally says, “Uh, I actually came to take you up on your offer. You said I could come to ask for dinner, and I rented a room at the place you recommended. They even gave me a discount. But if you’re busy—”

Junmyeon waves his hands, “No, no, you can stay.”

Sicheng nods, “Yes, any friend of Junmyeon’s is our friend too. Please, if you’re hungry, you’re welcome to our food. We never let anyone leave with an empty stomach.”

Yuta raises the bite of pastry left in his hand and grins, “Oni-chan even made some magnolia pastries! It’d be a shame if you left without having any!”

Yang Yang blushes, obviously taken aback by the kindness of the strangers. Junmyeon has to leave but he entrusts Yang Yang in Sicheng’s hands and walks away from the kitchen, not before collecting the basket of drinks and a small container filled with pastries. He is kind of excited to let the Prince taste them. He doesn’t know why, but he is really looking forward to validation from the Alpha.

As Junmyeon flutters about the kitchen and then leaves, Yang Yang keeps staring at him with a sense of awe. He didn’t think the man he met in the mountain in his drab tunic could transform like this. He did think Junmyeon was attractive and the lack of scent made him think he must be a Beta (he is still not sure), but like this, in his orange hanfu, he is beautiful. His hand rises and curls around the locket around his neck, sighing. No, no one has been more beautiful than his beloved and he is not here to be distracted by beautiful courtesans in unknown lands.

But as he bites into a pastry, he finds them to be divine and he ends up thinking about Junmyeon anyway throughout the dinner that the nice man named Sicheng serves him.

 

In the large room with its polished plaster floors and gilded windows and furniture, Yifan is getting ready to head out to Black Lotus. He did send the letter last night, hoping Junmyeon would have enough time to make up his mind. He tells himself he would be okay if Junmyeon says no. Junmyeon is under no obligation to come with him but he sincerely hopes the other says yes. He wants to see how Junmyeon is outside of Black Lotus, outside of the world he grew up in.

He puts on his black shan, and when the attendant is done tying his hair, a knock on the door breaks his Junmyeon daydreams. The servant tells him his father wants to see him before he heads out. Yifan mentally groans; he knows what that could be about.

When he is done, he walks into his father’s parlour and the man is waiting for him behind the desk, sipping his evening tea. Yifan kneels down and bows before murmuring, “Good evening father, you requested to see me?”

The older Alpha nods. “Yes, since you’re leaving for the southern state tomorrow, I wanted to remind that you must be on your best behaviour.”

Yifan keeps his gaze strained on the lattice work on the under of the desk as he bows his head again, even though he is rolling his eyes in his head. “Of course, father.”

“And I hear you’re bringing a courtesan with you on your journey?”

Yifan hints the faintest trace of disapproval in his father’s voice. His hands lightly fist on his knees as he says, “Just for the company, father. He is not coming with me for any sort of intimate favour.”

“Well, I’m not opposed to what you do with him in your personal time, but I just wanted to remind you that Princess Jisoo will be visiting us before the autumn harvest and you know her family doesn’t favour Alphas having more than one partner. Though I suppose she will have to get used to it when she eventually marries you. For now, you better be careful not to let your personal life leak out to her and her family.”

Yifan nods as his heart shrivels up in his chest. His father dismisses him after that and as he makes towards his stables, he is distressed. He has been betrothed to the Princess from the eastern state last fall and he had only met her once. Obviously, he wasn’t attached, and ever since meeting Junmyeon, she had completely slipped his mind. As he climbs into his carriage, he is struggling with himself, unsure if he should tell this to Junmyeon or not. But would Junmyeon even care? Yifan is aware that many married people come to Black Lotus and the courtesans know to not get attached to anyone.

His father didn’t have a harem but his grandfather did. Yifan knows he is allowed to bring anyone he wishes into the palace’s inner chambers but he can’t see Junmyeon like that. Junmyeon is too sweet, too kind to be treated just as a plaything, to be kept on the side as a distraction. Yifan groans, rubbing his face as he sinks down in his seat, berating himself over and over for forgetting his “engagement” with Princess Jisoo.

He doesn’t even realise when they arrive at Black Lotus. He makes his way to the lotus pavilion in a daze that only breaks when he finds Junmyeon seated by the window, humming a song under his breath, his back turned to him. Yifan clears his throat and Junmyeon turns his head around, his eyes widening before they turn into crinkles and the smile that takes Yifan’s breath away makes its appearance. He looks heavenly (but then again, when doesn’t he?) and Yifan thinks red is definitely Junmyeon’s colour.

Junmyeon slowly gets to his feet and bows. “Good evening, Your Highness.”

Yifan shuts the door and smiles, the clouds dissipating, “Good evening, Junmyeon. You look beautiful, you remind me of a tiger lily.” Junmyeon parts his red lips in surprise but covers his mouth with his sleeve as he chuckles. Yifan notices the plate of pastry that looks like a flower. He frowns, pointing at it, “And what are those?”

Junmyeon kneels beside him as Yifan sits down. He pushes the plate towards Yifan and his voice is soft as he says, “Magnolia pastries, I, uh, I made them.”

Yifan grins, “Then, I must try them.” He picks one pastry up and as he bites into the flaky pastry, past the savoury pasty and into the honey-sweet flower filling, his eyes widen as he chews. He hums, “This is delicious! I had no idea you could make such things with magnolia flowers!”

Junmyeon laughs, “We had an old woman here when I was younger. She must have been Mama’s great-aunt, and she knew how to cook with flowers and so many other strange little roots. She even taught how to hunt for mushrooms!”

Yifan laughs, “You are a man of many talents then!”

Junmyeon looks away, his cheeks flushed as he says, “I, I wouldn’t say that.”

Yifan shakes his head as he curls his fingers under Junmyeon’s chin and gently coaxes the other to look at him. Yifan licks his lips before saying, “You got my letter?”

Junmyeon nods and his cheeks darken. “I did, but, but, I mean—”

Yifan interjects, “If you don’t want to come, I’d understand.”

Junmyeon shakes his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to company you, Your Highness! It’s just, it’s just—” he takes a deep breath, “It’s just most patrons when they take their courtesans for trips, they usually seek for, uh, a more, I mean—”

Yifan widens his eyes when he understands. Even if he knows he is attracted to Junmyeon, he doesn’t seek to dominate him physically, so he quickly shakes his head and inches closer to Junmyeon, grabbing his wrists. “Junmyeon, Junmyeon, I don’t seek for such a thing, not at all. I just want you to come with me because I think you would enjoy it. You said so, didn’t you? You’ve never been outside this town, so I thought why not take you with me? Luhan and Zitao will be accompanying me too, so if it makes you feel more comfortable, I will ask them to ask Xiumin and Shixun too!”

Junmyeon lips part again as his heart races in his chest. He can see Yifan’s sincerity in his eyes and the words hit somewhere deep and warm within him, and he decides right then and there. He whispers, “Okay, okay…I would come with you.”

Yifan blinds Junmyeon with his wide, gummy grin and plants a kiss on Junmyeon’s temple. Junmyeon feels his whole body burning at that and he is pretty sure his face matches his yi and pao. The crown prince exclaims, “Thank you!”

Junmyeon giggles, unable to help himself be uninfected by Yifan’s enthusiasm, who tells him to be ready within a week and tell him of the southern state, which is built by the sea and that Junmyeon will love it so much there.

Outside the closed doors, unbeknownst to them, a shadow steps behind the lamp and slowly makes their way down the bridge. The crown prince will travel soon. Very good news for them, then.

**Author's Note:**

> tis I, a long-haired Junmyeon enthusiast for life


End file.
